Target CEO raves about the state of the economy: This is the best consumer environment 'I've seen in my career'

Consumer spending is back and has never been better as far as Target CEO Brian Cornell is concerned.

"There's no doubt that, like others, we're currently benefiting from a very strong consumer environment — perhaps the strongest I've seen in my career," Cornell told analysts on a call Wednesday.

The retailer's shares are surging after reporting fiscal second-quarter results that beat on earnings, revenue and comparable store sales. Just when many investors have written off brick-and-mortar retailers in the era of Amazon, Target is seeing a huge jump in foot traffic.

"We're seeing a great consumer response ... unprecedented traffic. As we go back and look, we've never seen traffic growth like this," Cornell said Wednesday morning on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

The big-box retailer also said digital sales skyrocketed more than 40 percent during the second quarter, as it's been investing in adding more items to its website and adding more delivery options for online orders. Building on that momentum, Target raised its earnings outlook for the full year.